CPC, NEMSA sign deal on electricity consumers’ protection

Consumer Protection Council (CPC) and Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA) have indicated their readiness to provide redress for electricity consumers following a deluge of complaints.

The two agencies yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Abuja for NEMSA to provide technical data or advice with which the CPC can pursue redress for electricity consumer.

The deal was inked after the CPC extended “a hand of fellowship to NEMSA for a synergy to address complaints from electricity consumers”.

NEMSA, according to the MoU, will provide technical data on how companies have contravened electricity rules for CPC to pursue redress for consumers.

Its Chief Executive Officer, Peter Eweso, an engineer, assured the council that there would be continuous consultation on consumers’ affairs.

He noted that should NEMSA discover anything affecting electricity consumers, it would bring it to the notice of the CPC.

Ewesor added that the agency would follow up such issues with reports on its observation.

He urged stakeholders, including CPC’s workers, to furnish NEMSA with information of suspicious inferior electrical installations and equipment for onward solution before they wreck havoc on the citizenry.

“I want to thank you for this opportunity for us to sign this MoU today. I want to say that we will continually have consultations on issues and if we see anything that has to do with consumer, which you are not even aware, we will actually make sure that this is brought to your table, followed up with a report on what we have observed so that you can actually follow it up and seek redress.”

CPC Director General Mrs. Dupe Atoki insisted that it was impossible for agency of government to operate without cooperating with relevant other agencies.

“That is why one agent of government cannot claim exclusive jurisdiction in its area of operation,” Mrs. Atoki said.

According to her, there is currently a deluge of complaints emanating from electricity consumers to the council.

She said working with any relevant agency to minimise the complaints would be heartwarming.

Her words: “We do know that there are huge complaints that emanated from the supply of electricity to Nigerians. Of course, we will be glad to have the situation where we will be working with any of the relevant agencies to minimise the complaints.”

But the NEMSA Chief Executive Officer has described any other technical inspector in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) as an interloper.

Its rival agency, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), had last week appointed 14 inspectors, maintaining that the act that established the commission empowers it to do so.